KAILUA-KONA

also called Kona, resort area on the west-central coast of Hawaii Island, Hawaii, U.S. The western coast of the island of Hawaii is known as Kona, and Kailua is its largest town, hence the name Kailua-Kona for the entire vicinity. The town of Kailua lies along Kailua Bay at the foot of Mount Hualalai. It was the site of some of the first contacts between Hawaiians and Europeans and later became a residence of the Hawaiian king Kamehameha I. The English navigator and explorer Captain James Cook landed at Kailua on Jan. 16, 1779, and was slain (Feb. 14) on Kealakekua Beach, to the south, during a fracas with Hawaiians. A modern hotel stands on the site of the home and council area of King Kamehameha I, who died in Kailua in 1819. Hulihee Palace (1837), now a museum, became the summer residence of the kings who succeeded Kamehameha I. Kailua was also the scene of early missionary efforts in Hawaii, which resulted in the building of Mokuaikaua Church (1823). Kailua is now a base for big-game fishing and other recreational activities involving the area's beaches and adjacent waters. The Kona (leeward) district is the home of the state's coffee industry. Coffee is grown on small privately owned plots at 1,000- to 2,000-foot (300- to 600-metre) elevations. The farmers' houses cling to the slopes of the volcanoes Hualalai and Mauna Loa. Pop. (1990) Kailua, 9,126.